Local woman to be judge at Westminster

Published: Sunday, January 26, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 24, 2014 at 6:04 p.m.

As a 6-year-old girl growing up in New York City, Barbara Finch attended her first dog show at Madison Square Garden. Early next month, she will return to the arena, this time as a judge at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. She will judge Portuguese water dogs and a breed she that is very close to her heart, Newfoundlands.

Newfoundlands, which Finch calls “Newfies,” are working dogs. According to the American Kennel Club, Newfoundlands were used to pull nets for fishermen and haul wood. A full-grown dog typically weighs between 100 and 150 pounds, and stands between 26 and 28 inches tall.

When Finch's daughter, Lee, was 2 years old, Finch said the family had a small poodle, which the toddler was comfortable with. Around any other dog, however, Finch said her daughter would cower in fear. The avid dog lover, wanting her daughter to be comfortable around all dogs, began searching for an addition to their family.

“I actually went to Madison Square Garden because my ex-husband's aunt was very, very big in dogs and she bred Afghans, so I was going to go down and see her,” Finch said. “And I got there on the wrong day; breeds are on different days. Then a friend of mine asked me to look at Newfoundlands.”

The dogs were all lined up on a single bench. Finch said she started at one end and by the time she got to the other, she was hooked.

“It took me a year to convince my ex-husband that this is what we really needed,” Finch said.

By 1972, the family had moved into a larger house with a bigger yard to accommodate Wendy, their first Newfoundland puppy, purchased from a breeder in the Finger Lakes area.

“We lived in New York state at the time and there was a local (American Kennel) club and I got involved,” Finch said. “Then every time somebody saw (Wendy), they said, 'Oh, she is so good, you need to show her,' so needless to say we started showing her, and then we had to have another one and then another one.”

Finch said that becoming a Newfoundland breeder just blossomed for her. When potential owners came to Finch looking for a puppy, she had a few tricks to make sure they were a good match. Since Newfoundlands are very large dogs with jowls to match, they tend to slobber.

“If you don't like drool, then forget it,” Finch said.

She would sit the potential owners on the couch and let out her most “drooly” pup, and if they flinched, she wouldn't sell to them.

Being a Newfoundland owner was a full-time job, Finch said. She had one dog that would occasionally stand on her hind legs, resting her front paws on the kitchen counter and walking herself around the kitchen eating or knocking over everything in her path.

When it came to showing her dogs, Finch hired a handler once she realized she was making the dogs nervous.

“Your nerves get to you,” she said. “I don't know, maybe people don't have nerves, but I do and they go right down that leash.”

She said professional handlers were much better about staying calm and making sure to show off the dogs' strong points while hiding their weaknesses. Her favorite part of showing, aside from the community of showing dogs, was when her dogs would win.

“My dogs won two national specialties, which is big; that's big,” Finch said. “And one year, one won best of opposite at the nationals, so I had three big wins, and we had three best in show dogs and multiple group winners when I was really pushing the dogs.”

From 1972 until 1990, Finch showed her dogs and then decided to partner with a woman from New York to continue breeding as business partners.

“I was divorced and working and I found that after coming home from about eight hours, 10 hours, 11 hours of work, the last thing I wanted to do was do buckets and feed and stuff,” Finch said. “So I finally decided for their sake that I was ready to let it go and I haven't had one since, but I miss them; I really do.”

At 71 years old, Finch said she can no longer lift a Newfoundland or play with them as much as she should to be fair to the dog, but now is the proud owner of a Norwich terrier. Her son, Jim, has a Newfoundland named Gracie, which Finch loves going to visit.

“I love to go to my son's any time because I just, Gracie knows me by now, and she and I lay on the floor and play and we have a wonderful time,” Finch said. “But then I can go leave her, too.”

Finch remains actively involved in the dog showing world and is the show chairman for Hendersonville Kennel Club, served on the board of the Newfoundland Club of America twice and still remains active on numerous committees for the NCA.

Finch will head to New York City on Feb. 8 and said she still cannot contain her excitement about being asked to judge.

“I am excited about the whole thing,” Finch said. “I can't even tell you what it is exciting me the most, but it's just exciting.”

<p>As a 6-year-old girl growing up in New York City, Barbara Finch attended her first dog show at Madison Square Garden. Early next month, she will return to the arena, this time as a judge at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. She will judge Portuguese water dogs and a breed she that is very close to her heart, Newfoundlands. </p><p>Newfoundlands, which Finch calls “Newfies,” are working dogs. According to the American Kennel Club, Newfoundlands were used to pull nets for fishermen and haul wood. A full-grown dog typically weighs between 100 and 150 pounds, and stands between 26 and 28 inches tall. </p><p>When Finch's daughter, Lee, was 2 years old, Finch said the family had a small poodle, which the toddler was comfortable with. Around any other dog, however, Finch said her daughter would cower in fear. The avid dog lover, wanting her daughter to be comfortable around all dogs, began searching for an addition to their family. </p><p>“I actually went to Madison Square Garden because my ex-husband's aunt was very, very big in dogs and she bred Afghans, so I was going to go down and see her,” Finch said. “And I got there on the wrong day; breeds are on different days. Then a friend of mine asked me to look at Newfoundlands.”</p><p>The dogs were all lined up on a single bench. Finch said she started at one end and by the time she got to the other, she was hooked. </p><p>“It took me a year to convince my ex-husband that this is what we really needed,” Finch said.</p><p>By 1972, the family had moved into a larger house with a bigger yard to accommodate Wendy, their first Newfoundland puppy, purchased from a breeder in the Finger Lakes area.</p><p>“We lived in New York state at the time and there was a local (American Kennel) club and I got involved,” Finch said. “Then every time somebody saw (Wendy), they said, 'Oh, she is so good, you need to show her,' so needless to say we started showing her, and then we had to have another one and then another one.”</p><p>Finch said that becoming a Newfoundland breeder just blossomed for her. When potential owners came to Finch looking for a puppy, she had a few tricks to make sure they were a good match. Since Newfoundlands are very large dogs with jowls to match, they tend to slobber.</p><p>“If you don't like drool, then forget it,” Finch said. </p><p>She would sit the potential owners on the couch and let out her most “drooly” pup, and if they flinched, she wouldn't sell to them.</p><p>Being a Newfoundland owner was a full-time job, Finch said. She had one dog that would occasionally stand on her hind legs, resting her front paws on the kitchen counter and walking herself around the kitchen eating or knocking over everything in her path. </p><p>When it came to showing her dogs, Finch hired a handler once she realized she was making the dogs nervous.</p><p>“Your nerves get to you,” she said. “I don't know, maybe people don't have nerves, but I do and they go right down that leash.”</p><p>She said professional handlers were much better about staying calm and making sure to show off the dogs' strong points while hiding their weaknesses. Her favorite part of showing, aside from the community of showing dogs, was when her dogs would win. </p><p>“My dogs won two national specialties, which is big; that's big,” Finch said. “And one year, one won best of opposite at the nationals, so I had three big wins, and we had three best in show dogs and multiple group winners when I was really pushing the dogs.”</p><p>From 1972 until 1990, Finch showed her dogs and then decided to partner with a woman from New York to continue breeding as business partners. </p><p>“I was divorced and working and I found that after coming home from about eight hours, 10 hours, 11 hours of work, the last thing I wanted to do was do buckets and feed and stuff,” Finch said. “So I finally decided for their sake that I was ready to let it go and I haven't had one since, but I miss them; I really do.”</p><p>At 71 years old, Finch said she can no longer lift a Newfoundland or play with them as much as she should to be fair to the dog, but now is the proud owner of a Norwich terrier. Her son, Jim, has a Newfoundland named Gracie, which Finch loves going to visit.</p><p>“I love to go to my son's any time because I just, Gracie knows me by now, and she and I lay on the floor and play and we have a wonderful time,” Finch said. “But then I can go leave her, too.”</p><p>Finch remains actively involved in the dog showing world and is the show chairman for Hendersonville Kennel Club, served on the board of the Newfoundland Club of America twice and still remains active on numerous committees for the NCA.</p><p>Finch will head to New York City on Feb. 8 and said she still cannot contain her excitement about being asked to judge. </p><p>“I am excited about the whole thing,” Finch said. “I can't even tell you what it is exciting me the most, but it's just exciting.”</p><p>Reach Bindewald at 694-7890 or renee.bindewald@blueridgenow.com.</p>